It’s a far cry from the race tracks of Australia where Tickford’s performance-oriented XR Falcons are usually seen, but this program has turned out a success in a way no motor race ever could.

Now the original concept of that same program has won The Australian Training Best Practice Award in the category of Educational Effectiveness for the training provider, Workplace Learning Initiatives, awarded by the Australian National Training Authority.

Started at Tickford’s Broadmeadows plant, the original Enterprise Based Training program was developed in conjunction with Tickford’s energetic and innovative managing director David Flint.

"We wanted to provide additional skills training for our people here, but we wanted it to be something a little different - something that would be fun and would inspire them to stretch themselves in new directions," says Flint.

"The original concept was to challenge four teams to build and race their own billy carts in an exercise that replicated the normal design, development and testing processes used by Ford Australia and Tickford to produce new cars.

"Projects had to be run in accordance with normal business procedures and, together with our product development, quality, manufacturing and finance staff, we had the full support of Ford design to help the teams through this phase."

The final show-down was at Calder Park where the ‘customers’ - provided by Montmorency Primary School - evaluated the carts with the help of Ford motor racing ace John Bowe.

When the school at Cherbourg heard of the project and requested working drawings to start their own, Flint sent ten of his people up there with materials and tools. They set up a room in the school as a workshop and have since put some 350 kids through the program, rebuilding the same ten carts over and over again.

"It’s been a super program all- round," says Flint.

"Working with the children at Cherbourg has been very rewarding. It’s great to see their development through a program that provides hands-on education and is tremendous fun as well.

"And in our own shop, there are interpersonal relationships now across the factory that bridge all disciplines and normal reporting lines. It’s something that’s spread quite naturally and it’s great to see it happening."

On the factory floor, changes are happening in the way people think about Tickford the company. One of the workers explains ... "before we started it was a bit divided between us. We didn’t really understand the structure behind the whole company. I think this program has brought us a lot closer together, sort of understanding their way of thinking."